Henfield performers tell tale of imaginative teenage liar

Milo Gardiner (Billy) and Alice Rogers. Picture by Neville de Moraes.

Spokesman Martin Love said: “Starting out as a successful novel, Billy Liar was adapted into a West End play and then rose to further prominence in 1963 as a black-and-white film starring Tom Courtenay.

“Since then it has been a popular choice on the amateur dramatic scene just because of its ability to attract and entertain the audiences.

“It is not surprising then, that this classic of stage and screen, by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall, will be the next production to be staged by the Henfield Theatre Company.

Lucy Walker (left) and Alice Rogers. Pictures by Neville de Moraes

“Billy is a wayward teenager who has a lot of difficulty keeping his wild imagination in check. He lives with his long-suffering family in a working-class district in 1960s Yorkshire. He has aspirations of becoming a television script writer in London, but his real job is with the local undertaker.

“His problems really start when he manages to acquire three fiancées – each unaware of the others, of course! The fact that there is only one engagement ring causes further stress but, undaunted, he simply tries to lie his way through the crisis, with hilarious consequences.

“Ann Atkins, the director of the Henfield production, is an experienced actress appearing regularly in Brighton’s Little Theatre as well as on the Henfield stage. She appeared in Billy Liar herself, back in the 1980s, playing the role of Billy’s Mum. She has also successfully directed many plays and shows, exhibiting a calm and decisive style which is always popular with the actors, bringing out the best of their talents.”

Performances are Thursday to Saturday, October 19-21, at The Henfield Hall, Coopers Way, Henfield, starting at 7.45pm.

Tickets are available from www.henfieldtheatrecompany.com or from Stevens, Henfield High Street (01273 492141). Tickets are priced £8 and £10.

The Henfield Theatre Company is an amateur dramatic group based in Henfield. They present four or five productions each year including plays, musicals and pantomimes at The Henfield Hall. In alternate years, they offer an open-air production.

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